Despite the adoption of United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security in 2000, progress towards gender equality for uniformed women in UN peace operations has been exceedingly slow. The lofty aspiration of equality in peacekeeping through gender mainstreaming policies and practices remains elusive, hindered by misconceptions and entrenched systemic barriers and institutional challenges.
Gender mainstreaming is crucial, particularly in peace operations, and has dual objectives within the UN. The first is to achieve gender parity and to integrate a gender perspective across all aspects of the UN’s work. Since 2017, the UN has implemented various strategies to increase women’s representation and achieve gender balance across all peacekeeping roles. The second objective is to transform discriminatory social institutions, laws, cultural norms and community practices that limit women’s participation in all aspects of public life. However, the UN’s efforts have primarily focused on the former, neglecting the broader measures needed to address the structural barriers hindering the full, equal and meaningful participation of uniformed and civilian women.
In my ASPI report issued today, I identify four challenges to the implementation of the UN’s gender mainstreaming policies: institutional impediments for uniformed women; the fixation on the popular discourse of the ‘added value’ of uniformed women for operational effectiveness; the persistence of masculine military structures limiting women’s capacity to showcase their professionalism and competencies; and the staggering prevalence of sexual violence against women peacekeepers.
In the face of these and other persistent institutional challenges, the UN stands at a crucial juncture to reconsider its approach to gender equality within peace operations. A paradigm shift is needed in the UN’s gender mainstreaming policies, centred on redefining what constitutes an efficient and effective uniformed component. This redefinition must navigate the evolving security landscape, acknowledging and valuing contributions of women and men equally. Addressing complex gender dynamics within the work environment is the key to dismantling existing barriers and challenges for women in peacekeeping.
My report proposes three specific interventions to address these concerns and strengthen the UN’s gender mainstreaming approach in peace operations:
—Redefining peacekeeping benchmarks for an efficient and effective uniformed component. The UN must champion a paradigm shift in addressing patriarchal power dynamics in its peace and security endeavours. This approach can extend to how we perceive peacekeeping benchmarks, starting with recognising the indispensable diversity of skill sets, perspectives and approaches that are essential for fulfilling mission mandates. The UN system and member states must delve into the constructions of masculinity, consider the role of men who have traditionally dominated peace and security decision-making, and address intergenerational power dynamics. This will allow for greater value to be placed on non-traditional peacekeeping tasks with an emphasis on non-combat skills, creating peacekeeper trained for war but skilled as diplomats and scholars.
—Shifting the narrative on peacekeepers’ contributions regardless of gender. Countering the narrative of women’s ‘added value’ is crucial, as it limits recognition of the equal worth of women and men in all roles. The UN should emphasise the equal value of all skills, from combat training to community engagement, assigning roles based on individual competencies, rather than gender. Reinforcing this approach in peace operations policies and mandates would highlight how both women and men indispensably contribute to operational effectiveness. By championing this narrative of equal value grounded in the skills and capabilities of peacekeepers irrespective of gender, the UN’s gender mainstreaming strategy can maintain operational effectiveness while challenging stereotypes and promoting gender equality within the UN’s broader mission.
—Incorporating feminist voices and practices in the development of policies and practices for the deployment of peacekeepers. Prioritising diversity and acknowledging the invaluable contributions of both women and men in peacekeeping can position the UN to advance the inclusion of feminist voices and approaches. These voices can help create safe, enabling and gender-sensitive working environments that support all peacekeepers regardless of gender. Their inclusion could disrupt the status quo of gender power structures and dynamics, fostering a new era where diversity of perspectives is actively embraced in the pursuit of peacekeeping excellence.
Gender mainstreaming, a linchpin in the UN’s pursuit of gender equality within peace and security, has seen two decades of relentless effort, yet the journey towards equality for uniformed women peacekeepers remains fraught with constraints. Policies, while well-intentioned, often fixate on gender parity targets and grapple with structural barriers, sidestepping the institutional challenges thwarting women’s meaningful participation. This exposes an undeniable truth: the UN’s laudable gender mainstreaming policies fall short, failing to penetrate the deep-rooted causes of gender inequality and dismantle the pervasive patriarchal structures entrenched in peace operations.
This report advocates for several measures: recognising the diverse contributions of both women and men; shifting the narrative to emphasise the value of women and men to operational effectiveness over viewing women’s contributions as mere ‘added value’; and incorporating feminist voices in policymaking. The UN’s approach to gender equality must involve active participation of all peacekeeping actors to implement robust gender mainstreaming policies and practices. Only through collective efforts can we achieve genuine gender equality in peacekeeping, turning the promise of gender mainstreaming into a reality.